How Many Women's World Cups Has Norway Won?
The Women’s World Cup Tournament was first played in 1991, and Norway immediately found success. The country lost in the finals of the 1991 World Cup to the United States, but their strong showing in the very first Women’s World Cup was a predictor of future success. The Norwegian Women’s Soccer Team won the 1995 World Cup after defeating Germany 2-0 in the final. What happened during the 1995 World Cup tournament, and how has Norway fared in other years?
1995 World Cup Winners
The Norwegian Women’s Soccer Team won their first and only World Cup in 1995. In the Group Stage, the country started out in Group B with England, Canada, and Nigeria. Norway defeated Nigeria 8-0 in the first game they played. They followed that up with a 2-0 victory over England and a 7-0 win against Canada to advance to the knockout stage.
In the knockout stage, Norway defeated Denmark 3-1 in the quarterfinals. In their next game, a goal in the tenth minute by Ann Kristin Aarønes led Norway to a 1-0 win against the United States. Aarønes had six goals throughout the tournament, which was the most by any player at the 1995 World Cup.
Ultimately, in the 1995 Final, Hege Riise and Marianne Pettersen both scored first-half goals for Norway as the country claimed its first World Cup Title against Germany. Riise ranked second in goals for the entire tournament, with five. Norway outscored their opponents 23-1 on the way to its first World Cup Title.
1991 World Cup Runner-Ups
In addition to their 1995 win, Norway also finished second in the aforementioned 1991 Women’s World Cup. They started out in Group A for this tournament, alongside China, Denmark, and New Zealand. Norway lost the opening game of the tournament 4-0 to China, but defeated New Zealand and Denmark 4-0 and 2-1, respectively, to finish second in the group. A quarterfinals match between Norway and Italy went into extra time, but a Tina Svensson goal off of a penalty kick in the 96th minute gave Norway the 3-2 victory.
Norway then defeated their fellow Nordic country, Sweden, 4-1 in the semifinals to advance. Norway faced off with the United States in the finals, but they allowed an American goal in the 78th minute to fall 2-1. Linda Medalen was the leading goalscorer for Norway during the 1991 World Cup, and she was tied for third for the most goals of any player in the tournament.
1997 and 2007 World Cup Fourth Place Finishes
Norway Women’s Soccer also finished fourth in the 1999 and 2007 World Cups. Norway won Group C in 1999, outsourcing their opponents 13-2. After taking care of business in a 3-1 victory over Sweden in the quarterfinals, Norway was blown out against China, losing 5-0. The country didn’t fare much better in the third-place game, as they lost to Brazil in a penalty shootout after neither side could score a goal.
In 2007, Norway topped Group C against Australia, Canada, and Ghana. The country defeated China 1-0 in the quarterfinals but fell 3-0 to the eventual champions, Germany, in the semifinals. Norway then lost 4-1 to the United States in the third-place game.